Benzinga's Weekend M&A Chatter

The following are the M&A deals, rumors and chatter circulating on Wall Street for Friday December 19 through Sunday December 21, 2014

:

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

announced Friday an agreement to acquire Hollywood skin care brand, GLAMGLOW. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in January 2015. Estée Lauder shares closed Friday at $76.25, a gain of $0.47.

:

BGC Partners, Inc.

announced Friday, that it has increased its all-cash tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of GFI Group Inc.

to $5.45 per share. CME Group Inc.

had offered $5.25 per share in stock and cash on December 2, 2014. GFI Group shares closed Friday at $5.45, down $0.03.

:

S&W Seed Company

and DuPont Pioneer

, announced Friday, the acquisition by S&W of all of DuPont Pioneer's alfalfa production and research facility assets, as well as all conventional (non-GMO) alfalfa germplasm. The purchase price is up to $42 million, consisting of $27 million in cash, payable at closing, a promissory note payable by S&W to DuPont Pioneer in the principal amount of $10 million and a potential earn-out payment of up to $5 million based on sales of the acquired germplasm in the three-year period following the closing. The deal is expected to be completed on December 31, 2014, subject to S&W obtaining sufficient additional financing. S&W Seed Shares gained 1.5% Friday, to close at $3.61.